The Prayer of Hezekiah
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”
2 Kings 18:14-19
What Does Hezekiah’s Prayer Have to Do With Me?
Our pastor at church did a series on prayers recorded in the bible last year. One of his sermons was on this prayer of Hezekiah. I had never really thought about the content of the prayers of biblical heroes, just that they prayed.
When I got home, I started reflecting on it and taking some notes on Hezekiah’s prayer. Today, I was looking back on this passage and thinking about it some more.
The Formal Address
Hezekiah’s prayer starts out with what seems like a very formal address of God: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.”
A Little Background
It’s important to realize that Hezekiah was in a really tough spot when he prayed this. Sennacherib (King of Assyria) had sent his general to take Jerusalem and the enslave the Israelites. The Assyrian army was huge and brutal, known to torture its enemies (even skinning them alive and displaying their skins as a warning).
Build Up Your Faith
If I was facing that kind of threat, I would need to do some faith building. Nothing stirs up faith as much as reminding ourselves who God is.
Hezekiah points out that:
1. God is eternally enthroned above the angels.
2. He ALONE is God of all the heavens and earth.
3. He has chosen Israel as His protected nation.
4. He is creator God, who spoke and the heaven and the earth were made.
Woo-Hoo! Can I get an amen?! That is an amazing God we serve.
A Response to Evil in Power
Sennacherib had been mouthing off, saying that Hezekiah can’t deliver his people. That no god of any nation has been able to deliver it’s people from the onslaught of the Assyrian army. Sennacherib jibes at God, mocking Him and ridiculing His power to deliver His people.
Hezekiah asks God to:
1. Incline His ear and hear – God still hears today!
2. Open His eyes and see – God still sees today!
God Alone
He reminds God that Assyria has destroyed the false, man-made gods of other nations, but implores God to save His people so that all the earth will know that the God of Israel is God alone.
Complete Deliverance
That night, 185,000 of the Assyrian army camped outside Jerusalem were killed by an angel of the Lord. God’s people did not even have to fight the battle at all. The Assyrians ran back home. Sennacherib was killed by his own sons, his reign brought to utter ruin. God did not just bring relief or supplies or help. He brought complete deliverance.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
I don’t know what you are going through right now. You might be between a fearful people and a vicious king, or just between a rock and a hard place. What I do know is that the God who fought on behalf of Hezekiah and the people of Israel is still God today.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 (ESV)
What can we say about God?
He is enthroned eternally high above all else.
He is alone is God.
He is protecting His people.
He is the creator God whose words transform worlds.
He hears me.
He sees me.
He delivers me.
Action Step:
Build up your faith today. Write down something about God’s character that gets your blood pumping and take it with you in your pocket today. When you pull it out, thank God that He hears you and sees you. Ask for what you need, knowing that God is in the business of the impossible. Follow the example of Hezekiah’s prayer today.
Prayer:
God, I am overwhelmed by all that You are. Your ways are so far beyond mine. When problems arise, help me to remember who You are – so much bigger than all my obstacles. I believe in You. Help grow my faith today as I remind myself who You really are throughout the day. In Jesus’ name, amen.